Wednesday, July 25, 2007

CD of the Day, 7/25/07: The ACBs-The ACBs

A bright new face on the power pop scene is Kansas City's The ACB's, with a self-titled debut that should bring a smile to the face of power poppers old and young alike. Fans of classic bands like Cheap Trick and The Cars as well as fans of newer bands like Rooney, Waltham and The Fags should find a lot to like here; in fact, in many respects they remind me of The Fizzies and their fine Contest Popularity disc released earlier this year.

Highlights on this disc are many: Opener "You Did It Once" sets the tone, establishing their high-energy no-nonsense power pop; "Windows Up" brings the tempo down a notch but the melody quotient a notch up; "Sometime" adds falsetto and a bit of funk; "Suzanne" captures their essence perfectly, a sing-along that rocks; the gorgeous "Everyone Wants to See"; and the closer "Oo Jane", in which I can swear I hear a hint of Collective Soul. Great stuff all around, and making the choice to pick this one up should be as easy as A-C-B.